Common Illnesses that your Dog may get

Look for the symptoms

Any dog lover and owner will know exactly when something is wrong with their beloved pet. It stands to reason, if he is normally boisterous and then he sits around sleeping all the time, this is a sure sign that all is not well. Do not put off taking him to the vet. Sometimes, delaying treatment could result in your dog's death.

All dogs suffer from a variety of illnesses throughout their lives. Some breeds of dog are more prone to suffering one illness more than another. Although like arthritis, a dog may suffer from this like in children at an early age not just from old age.

Before you bring any dog home make sure you know how big the dog will grow. Do you have allergies? Will you have the time to care for for a dog. Can you afford to keep a dog and keep its vaccinations up to date? Another part of owning a wonderful dog is making sure it is healthy and trained well trained, this e book should help you with this process.

Ilnesses in dogs

a. Many dogs suffer from Arthritis

Symptoms to watch for – You should notice a difference if your dog is suffering from this. Because he/she may limp or favor one leg or lay about not as active as he would normally be. Arthritis can affect any of the dog's joints, like his hips, neck, shoulders or back. Arthritis like in humans is caused from a wearing down of the cartilage which protects the bones of a dog.

There are two main types

Inflammatory - is caused from an infection. Ticks or a bacteria fungus may cause the infection. Watch for signs of fever.

Osteoarthritis –can result from stress on a joint, often called degenerative because the disk or cartilages rub against each other.

Ask your vet to examine your dog if he is suffering from any ailment.He is the best person to give correct advice on the treatment required.

b. Worms

All dogs need to be wormed. There are several types:

Heart Worms – your dog should not have this problem as he/she should be on a preventative treatment.

Round worm – these are hard to see with your eyes.Ask your vet to check your dog's stools for signs of these.

Flat worms – these are an internal worm normally found in the liver or lungs.

All dogs should be wormed regularly.If you think your dog may have worms take it to be checked by your local vet.

Frontline Plus controls fleas, lice, flea eggs and ticks in puppies and dogs. 3 treatments will protect them and last up to 6 months.

Teeth and Infections

c. Bad or infected Teeth

These can cause a lot of pain and suffering and you will not know what the problem is at first. If your dog is very restless and cannot sit still for more than a few minutes at a time, or is constantly panting then try and have a look in his mouth.

Dogs like us need to have clean teeth. I have a paste that I rub onto them once a week.This did not prevent our dog from suffering from a cracked and infected tooth. (We still do not know if it had an abscess under it, he had it out and he has not been the same dog since).He has become a very stressed out and nervous dog since the extraction.

Signs of teeth problems:

Smelly breath

Teeth falling out

Gum bleeding

Discoloration near gums

d. Coughing Dog

Heart disease is a sign of a dog coughing or he/she could cough when his throat is blocked or irritated.

Another symptom of coughing could be distemper.

Make a note of when and if your dog coughs, as this may help in the vet's diagnosis of the dog's illness.

e. Infectious hepatitis

This can affect the liver, eyes and kidneys.Signs are an increase in temperature.Make sure the dog is vaccinated against this as it provides immunity for ages.

f. Parvovirus

Dog breeders are very wary of the disease as it is contagious, mainly for the young puppies. This could result in the death of your dog if not vaccinated.

g. Ticks

This is not an illness, although if you live in areas where these are prevalent you need to check your dog constantly. Give him tick and flea tablets regularly.Rub your hand right over your dog's body.Check there is no ticks.If a dog is not diagnosed within a few days he could die.

There are other illnesses to protect your dog against.So be vigilant, keep an eye on the way he/she behaves.If anything is out of the ordinary take your dog straight to a vet. H/she cannot tell you that he is suffering, most time they will suffer in silence. Be vigilant and take care of your dog. He will return the favor tenfold with unconditional love.

Comments

This article has been extremely helpful, I have an *almost* two-year-old boxer/lab mix and I would never want anything to happen to her, so it's nice to have some information that details what I need to look for as an owner to prevent these things! I would have had no clue what these signs might lead to! So THANKS!